As you drive through the entrance, women and men busy themselves over barbecue grills as the aroma of grilled chicken, pigtails, fish and other tasty treats fill the air. Further on, clothes for sale dangle under a tent which also housed miscellaneous items.
Up ahead under a much larger tent and close to the huge tent which has now become a temporary “home” for Restoration Ministries, people, including entire families, sat eating, spending some quality time together or simply waiting for the worship to begin.
Soon, the band strikes up, and the keyboardist, drummer and guitarist hit the right notes. Within minutes, the congregation is lost in praise and adoration to their God. Dancing, hand-clapping and bowing in reverence, they truly enjoy themselves in the presence of God.
This is the kind of scene that greets you each Friday night at the Under The Tent ministry of Restoration Ministries in Brittons Hill, St Michael.
Last Friday night was no different. Presided over by minister/school principal Matthew Farley, and headed by senior pastor, Senator Apostle Dr David Durant, it provided a potpourri of shared testimonies, ministry in dance, special ministry in song, worship and praise.
Among those ministering in song were Sister Anne Clarke, Sister Huldah Carter with a self-composed number, and visiting gospel artiste Allison Norville-Forde, whose rendering of I Believe In You brought some to their feet in worship.
Men and women alike willingly testified about God’s goodness and His faithfulness in meeting their needs, while other shared on the previous night’s prayer ministry in The City.
Farley reminded his audience of the awesome power of God and the call to reverence Him.
In her brief sermonette, Sister Noella Ogundiyi told those present about their individual importance to the Body and Kingdom of God, at the same time reminding them that although their roles might differ, their ministry was necessary for completeness in the Kingdom.
“It is God who has put us in the Kingdom and He has done so for a purpose. It is not about who we are or what we can do, but what He can do in, through and for us,” she said.
“We are all relevant to God. We are carriers of what He wants of us and how He wants us to function.”
She further stated that when members of the Body of Christ come together collectively, they do so as God’s “called out” people, signed with and sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ, to make a difference in the world.
Ogundiyi cautioned her listeners about questioning their position in the Body of Christ and comparing themselves one with the other.
“We miss our position when we want to be someone other than who God calls us to be. Our position in Christ is relevant and important. Know your position in the Body of Christ and maintain your position.”
The ministry went on for hours, with church leader Durant indicating that Under The Tent is fast becoming an avenue for believers and all and sundry to enjoy a mini Oistins Fish Fry while worshipping, praising God and listening to God-inspired music and ministry.